Medical Information Alert Cap

ABSTRACT

A wearable cap designed to reduce medical errors by quickly, accurately, and reliably communicating essential information about its wearer, even when the wearer is incapacitated or otherwise unable to actively participate in communication.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is entitled to the benefit of, and claims priority toU.S. Provisional Application 61/648,515 filed on May 17, 2012, which isincluded by reference as if fully set forth herein.

INTRODUCTION

The present invention is a wearable cap designed to reduce medicalerrors by quickly, accurately, and reliably communicating essentialinformation about its wearer, even when the wearer is incapacitated orotherwise unable to actively participate in communication.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In medicine, high priority information can be characterized asinformation that, if known, is immediately actionable to counter,prevent or avoid rapid decline or worsening of a patient's condition. Itcan also encompass information that, if not known or misinterpreted, hasa high risk of causing rapid decline in a patient's condition. Patientdrug allergies are a ubiquitous example of such high priorityinformation, the inadequate propagation of which has plagued the medicalprofession since the inception of modern drug treatments.

Allergies are a leading cause of chronic illness in the United States.Minimizing allergic reactions during a hospital stay is of significantconcern. Adverse reactions to drugs can prolong hospital stays, and insevere cases, can result in life-threatening consequences.

In-patient, round-the-clock care often requires coordination amongdozens of medical professionals, including the accurate proliferation ofeach patient's high priority information. In emergent situations, thoseprofessionals are often required to make split-second decisionsregarding patient care. Paradoxically, those patients most exposed tothe risk of miscommunication (i.e., those typically requiring suchintensive care) are those least likely to recover from severecomplications resulting therefrom.

Hospitals and professionals have struggled to innovate and adoptprocedures and means to minimize the risk of error resulting frommiscommunication. Communication of patients' critical vulnerabilitieshas traditionally been by notation in a patient chart or (more modernly)by a wristband in some facilities. Research has shown that a significantpercentage of patients with at least one allergy often had no writtenrecord of it in hospital documents. It has also been shown that lessthan half of patients with known allergies to medications were beingcorrectly fitted with wristbands where wristbands were employed. Amonghospitalized patients, two-to-three percent experience allergic drugreactions and one in every 2,700 suffers drug-induced anaphylaxis.Incidences of drug-related anaphylaxis from drug types are on the rise.

Unfortunately, existing technologies and protocols to identify highpriority patient information are insufficient. What is needed is a wayto quickly, accurately, and reliably convey high priority information tomedical professionals in order to minimize medical error and preventableinjury.

What is needed is an easy-to-deploy means to quickly and accuratelyconvey critical patient information. This is especially true whereinformation is needed about an individual who is incapacitated orotherwise unable to adequately participate in communication.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a medical information alert capcomprising an exterior surface and a means for displaying pertinentinformation on the exterior surface.

In one embodiment, the cap can be made similarly to a non-woven bouffantdisposable surgical cap. Typically, it is made from a fabric with hightensile strength and low elongations, like polypropylene spun bond(e.g., 10 g, 12 g, 14 g, 16 g, 18 g). It also typically has an elasticband. Such a cap is stretchable and comfortable and can accommodate avariety of head sizes and varying volumes of hair. Sizes could range tofit newborns, infants, children, and adults. The fabric can also beselected tor certain beneficial characteristics like being soft, light,non-toxic, and environmentally friendly.

In a preferred embodiment, the exterior of the cap is colored, and mayalso include patterns or symbols to enrich communication. The colors,patterns, and symbols can be matched to specific applications andlocales. For example, a cap meant to convey critical medical treatmentinstructions could be solid red in the United States, whereas to conveysimilar information in Europe, it could be solid green.

In another embodiment, the elastic band can be printed with a context-or application-specific phrase (e.g., “Medication Alert”) to promoteinstant understanding by the viewer, even if the cap or its purpose wascompletely foreign to the viewer immediately prior.

In the preferred embodiment, the exterior of the cap further comprises asurface on which one can write pertinent information or instructions.This is useful in situations where a caregiver learns criticalinformation about an individual, where care of that individual issubsequently passed to a different caregiver who would benefit from thatknowledge. The information written on the exterior surface may include alisting of the wearer's susceptibilities to injury or adverse reactionswithin treatment environments. As one example, the listing couldenumerate the wearer's allergies to commonly used medications, or itcould indicate whether the wearer was immunocompromised, so thatcaregivers would know to avoid prolonged exposure to areas where theremight be an increased risk of infection.

In another embodiment, the cap includes an area to which one or morelabels could be attached (e.g., peel-and-stick types, hook-and-looppatches, etc.). Alternatively, labels could be inserted into and held inplace by a transparent pocket. These labels would preferably includeinformation about the wearer's susceptibility as described above.

In another embodiment, either the cap or labels comprisemachine-readable information, such as: encoded images (e.g., bar codes,quick response (QR) codes, etc.), means for electronically transmittinginformation (e.g., smart cards, radio frequency identification(RFID))-type tags, near field communication (NFC)-type tags, etc.), orother machine-readable mechanisms for referencing or encoding additionalinformation.

The label or other writing surface is preferably located on the portionof the cap nearest to the wearer's face (i.e., on or near the front).This helps facilitate transmission of the information to the caregiver.Additional areas on the exterior surface of the cap (e.g., on or nearthe top or sides) could also be used for more detailed or lower-priorityinformation.

Consider the following emergent example: An emergency medical technician(EMT) learns that her trauma patient is fatally allergic to a certaintreatment commonly used in treating similar injuries. In transit to thehospital, the EMT is able to stabilize the patient, but not before thepatient loses consciousness and is unable to communicate further. Uponreaching the hospital, the EMT often has mere seconds to convey relevantinformation to emergency hospital staff. Without the invention, this isoften done orally. If the EMT omits the allergy condition, or ifreceiving staff doesn't hear, misunderstands, or forgets about thecondition, the information is lost, and the patient is at greater risk.

With the invention, the EMT would fit her patient with a medicalinformation alert cap during transit. She would write on the cap thetreatment to which the patient was allergic and the severity of theallergy. Not only would this free up precious seconds for additionaloral communication during handoff, the information would persist in theabsence of the EMT with no degradation due to loss or miscommunication.

Consider the following non-emergent example: A patient in long-term careis under the supervision of an experienced nurse with a deepunderstanding of that patient. That nurse may be periodicallyunavailable because of shift changes or vacation time. During thoseabsences, less-informed medical professionals may overlook or notcompletely appreciate that patient's vulnerabilities, risking harm orerror.

Using the invention, medical professionals will be less likely to makeill-informed decisions, as the most critical information remainsphysically and conspicuously associated with the patient, instead ofleaving with the experienced caregiver or being hidden from view.

In both emergent and non-emergent situations, attention to the patientis often directed to that patient's face and head. Evaluation of anynumber of conditions involves direct examination of a patient's pupils,facial color, speech, eye movements, responsiveness to questions, etc. Ameans to persistently capture and prominently display criticalinformation about a patient on a part of the body that is universallysubject to significant attention by medical professionals mitigates therisk of medical error resulting from degradation or loss ofpatient-specific critical information. The invention provides thesemeans.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an oblique frontal view of the medical information alertcap embodiment with a printed elastic band, a transparent pocket, and alabel insert or attachment with a symbol and writing.

FIG. 2 depicts an oblique frontal view of the medical information alertcap embodiment with a printed elastic band and a blank label attachmentwith a symbol and writing.

FIGS. 3 & 3A depict oblique frontal views of medical information alertcap embodiments with colored exterior surfaces, printed elastic bands,and blank label attachments with symbols.

FIGS. 4, 4A, 5 & 5A depict oblique frontal views of medical informationalert cap embodiments with exterior surfaces covered with symbols, andlabel attachments with symbols.

FIGS. 6 & 6A depict oblique frontal views of medical information alertcap embodiments with label attachments with machine readable encodedimages.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following describes preferred embodiments. However, embodiments ofthe invention are not limited to those embodiments. Therefore, thedescription that follows is for purpose of illustration and notlimitation.

FIG. 1 depicts an oblique frontal view of the medical information alertcap 1 comprising an exterior surface 2, an elastic band 3, and a meansfor displaying information on the exterior surface 2 that furthercomprises a transparent pocket 4 capable of receiving one or moreinserts or labels 5. The elastic band 3 further comprises printing 10.The insert or label 5 further comprises priority information 6 and oneor more symbols 7.

FIG. 2 depicts an oblique frontal view of the medical information alertcap 1 comprising an exterior surface 2, an elastic band 3, and a meansfor displaying information on the exterior surface 2 that furthercomprises an area 8 to which one or more or labels 5 containing priorityinformation 6 may be attached. The elastic band 3 further comprisesprinting 10. The label 5 further comprises priority information 6 andone or more symbols 7.

Each of FIGS. 3 & 3A depicts an oblique frontal view of the medicalinformation alert cap 1 comprising an exterior surface 2, an elasticband 3, and a means for displaying information on the exterior surface 2that further comprises an area 8 to which one or more or labels 5 may beattached. The cap 1 can further comprise a radio frequencyidentification (RFID)-type tag 13. The exterior surface 2 furthercomprises a color 9. The elastic band 3 can further comprise printing10. The label 5 can further comprise one or more symbols 7 and anRFID-type tag 13.

Each of FIGS. 4, 4A, 5 & 5A depicts an oblique frontal view of themedical information. alert cap 1 comprising an exterior surface 2, anelastic band 3, and a means for displaying information on the exteriorsurface 2 that further comprises an area 8 to which one or more orlabels 5 may be attached. The exterior surface 2 further comprises oneor more symbols 11. The elastic band 3 can further comprise printing 10.The label 5 can further comprise priority information 6 and one or moresymbols 7.

Each of FIGS. 6 & 6A depicts an oblique frontal view of the medicalinformation alert cap 1 comprising an exterior surface 2, an elasticband 3, and a means for displaying information on the exterior surface 2that further comprises an area 8 to which one or more or labels 5 may beattached. The elastic band 3 can further comprise printing 10. The label5 further comprises priority information 6, one or more symbols 7, and amachine readable encoded image 12. The label 5 can further comprise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A medical information alert cap, sized and shapedto be worn on the head of a person, comprising: a. an exterior surface;and b. a means for displaying, on the exterior surface of the cap,information concerning a wearer of the cap.
 2. The medical informationalert cap of claim 1 where the means for displaying information furthercomprises a printed elastic band.
 3. The medical information alert capof claim 1 where the means for displaying information further comprisesa transparent pocket capable of receiving one or more inserts.
 4. Themedical information alert cap of claim 1 where the means for displayinginformation further comprises an area to which one or more labels can beattached.
 5. The medical information alert cap of claim 1 where themeans for displaying information further comprises a surface which canaccommodate markings by writing implements.
 6. The medical informationalert cap of claim 1 where the means for displaying information furthercomprises a pattern of one or more colors on the exterior surface. 7.The medical information alert cap of claim 6 where the color on theexterior surface is red.
 8. The medical information alert cap of claim 6where the color on the exterior surface is green.
 9. The medicalinformation alert cap of claim 1 where the means for displayinginformation further comprises one or more symbols on the exteriorsurface.
 10. The medical information alert cap of claim 1 where theinformation further comprises machine-readable information.
 11. A methodof communicating priority information about a person by placing a cap onthe head of that person, the cap comprising: a. an exterior surface; andb. a means for displaying, on the exterior surface of the cap,information concerning a wearer of the cap.
 12. The method of claim 11where the means for displaying information further comprises a printedelastic band.
 13. The method of claim 11 where the means for displayinginformation further comprises a transparent pocket capable of receivingone or more inserts.
 14. The method of claim 11 where the means fordisplaying information further comprises an area to which one or morelabels can be attached.
 15. The method of claim 11 where the means fordisplaying information further comprises a surface which can accommodatemarkings by writing implements.
 16. The method of claim 11 where themeans for displaying information further comprises a pattern of one ormore colors on the exterior surface.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherethe color on the exterior surface is red.
 18. The method of claim 16where the color on the exterior surface is green.
 19. The method ofclaim 11 where the information further comprises one or more symbols onthe exterior surface.
 20. The method of claim 11 where the informationfurther comprises machine-readable information.